The Philadelphia 76ers have expressed a willingness to trade for Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin depending on what sort of assets Houston is willing to attach to the deal, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Sixers, who have ample room on their payroll to absorb Lin's contract, have emerged as a leading contender to take on Lin in a trade that sends no salary back to the Rockets, which would enable the Rockets to extend a rich offer in free agency to either Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh. ...

... It's believed that the Rockets would have to send Philadelphia at least one future first-round pick to convince the Sixers to go through with the deal, given that Lin is owed $15 million next season despite the fact that his contract will only count for $8.4 million for salary cap purposes.

Sources say that the Sixers, though, are happy to take on Lin -- despite the presence of reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams as their starting point guard -- provided that the extra asset or two they get from Houston is sufficiently attractive.

Stein goes on to mention another club in the mix for Lin:

Sources say that the Milwaukee Bucks are another team that would consider trading for Lin if the Rockets add a sweetener or two to the deal for the privilege of shedding Lin's contract to a team that can comfortably absorb it.

Meanwhile, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports gives more details on Milwaukee's interest in the point guard:

Updates from Friday, June 27

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports on another possible trade destination for Jeremy Lin:

The Warriors, per a league source, have informed the Houston they would consider acquiring Lin from the Rockets via trade. Houston is reportedly shopping Lin in case they need to create cap space for Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James.

The Warriors have a $9.8 million trade exception leftover from the trade that sent Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson's expiring contract to Utah. Though Lin is scheduled to make $14.9 million, only $8.37 will count against the salary cap. That means the Warriors can absorb Lin's contract without giving up any players.

Nothing is imminent, the source said. It's one of many options the Warriors are weighing.

Brian Windhorst is reporting the Rockets have traded Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans, setting up a trade of Jeremy Lin to clear the cap room necessary to offer near-max dollars. While they'd like to keep Chandler Parsons, he might have to be sacrificed to move Asik and/or Lin. I'm told Golden State might be interested in trading for Lin if it can land Parsons along with him.

Howard Beck of Bleacher Report passed along more on Lin's status in the trade market:

Original Text

Jeremy Lin's future with the Houston Rockets is somewhat cloudy due to uneven play, a sizable contract and the team's potential ambitions to make a run at the offseason's marquee free agents.

Thus, it makes sense that Lin is the subject of trade rumors that could see him playing for a fourth NBA squad in five years. The latest buzz comes from USA Today's Sam Amick, who also implies that big man Omer Asik is on the block:

Anthony Rieber of Newsday brought up an interesting scenario, given that one of Houston's targets figures to be New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony:

Perhaps in a sign-and-trade, "Linsanity" could return to Madison Square Garden. Until there's more substance behind that possibility, though, such a situation is pure speculation.

Lin is only 25 years old and still has room to improve his game. Already a dynamic pick-and-roll threat on the offensive end, it's his perimeter defense that's drawn criticism. The fact that he's due nearly $15 million in salary entering the final year of his current contract makes him an appealing trade option (h/t Spotrac.com).

For a team like the Knicks, who likely won't be title contenders in 2014-15, taking on the exorbitant Lin deal makes all the more sense while adding plenty of excitement to what could be a lost season.

Lin seemed a bit frustrated by his fluctuating role with the Rockets following the 2013-14 campaign, but he didn't seem concerned about being traded, per the Houston Chronicle's Jenny Dial Creech:

I think this year was an up-and-down year. A lot of good things, a lot of bad things, definitely an up-and-down year. A lot of adjusting. I would go through stretches where I played 35-40 minutes consistently; then I would go back down to 15-20. ...

... Next year will be my fifth season, so my first year and a half, I dealt with my name being surrounded with getting cut and things like that. Then it was my name being surrounded with trades. So I would much rather take the second one than the first. I am not really too worried about it.

Offloading Lin's contract would give Rockets general manager Daryl Morey the chance to make a pitch to Anthony or Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. No word on whether James will opt out in South Beach, but Anthony will do so Monday, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

The quicker Houston can clear cap space, the sooner Morey and Co. will have the means to make a legitimate recruiting pitch to the likes of Anthony and James. Knowing what the general personnel will be is key to sell the Rockets as a viable destination.

There are creative avenues for Houston to explore, as both Lin and Asik have identical contracts and can be shipped away without much consequence to the current nucleus. Lin lost his starting job to Patrick Beverley, while Asik didn't fit into the starting five alongside Dwight Howard.

Small forward Chandler Parsons was on the books for cheap and will reportedly have his team option declined, offering more flexibility for the Rockets' front office. Whether Parsons, a restricted free agent to be, returns to the fold would be rather irrelevant if Houston can acquire either an upgrade at the 3, such as Anthony or James.

But without Lin and potentially Asik, there's the possibility to hang on to Parsons and still lure another star to Houston. Morey was wise to backload Lin's contract in the event that he didn't pan out with the Rockets. Now that he hasn't, Houston is once again sitting pretty, with a No. 25 overall pick in Thursday's draft to play with too.

Since Lin thrives best with the ball in his hands, he has struggled to coexist with rim attacker James Harden in Houston's backcourt. The Rockets' uptempo style fits with how Lin thrived in New York, but a fresh start for both sides has its mutual benefits.

Houston should be a prominent title contender regardless of what it decides to do with Lin. The real question will be who the Rockets can convince to come in and help this squad take the next step in a challenging Western Conference.